At last weekend’s Classic Jazz Orchestra show there was some surprise news – that Rose Room are taking a break just now and therefore won’t be coming in March.
That was the bad news, but happily, frontwoman Seonaid’s brand new gypsy jazz project – Seonaid Aitken’s Manouche Nouveau – will play at Linlithgow Jazz on 7th March. Good news all round, especially as it’s the band’s debut show and therefore a bit of an exclusive premiere.
Gathering together the crème de la crème of Scotland’s Gyspy Jazz musicians, Seonaid Aitken’s Manouche Nouveau brings Jazz Manouche into 2026 presenting a fresh take on the genre with Seonaid’s original compositions, intricate arrangements of well-known standards and virtuosic showmanship showcasing Gypsy favourites – all while giving a nod to the originators of ‘Hot Club’ Swing…Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.
Led by Seonaid Aitken – Scottish Jazz award-winning violinist, vocalist, composer/arranger, BBC broadcaster and regular tutor at the Grappelli-Django Camp in The Netherlands (played with Sébastien Giniaux, Duved Dunayevsky, Tim Kliphuis Sextet, Tokyo Django Collective, Rose Room, Martin Taylor MBE), and featuring in-demand vintage-style guitarist Ross Baird, rising talent and student of Jazz guitar at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Ronan Toal, and Scotland’s top swingin’ & slappin’ double bassist Roy Percy.
Not surprisingly, demand for tickets is already off the scale, with over 50 sold on Saturday night. Far From the Madding Crowd (20 High Street) have the remaining paper tickets, but don’t delay – and it’d be helpful if you’re local and able to do so that you buy your tickets from the shop. That way it gives our regulars who live out of town a chance to buy tickets for this very popular event.
A very limited number will also be available via Ticketsource.
See you in March!
As ever, the fun takes place in the Queen Margaret Hall (see the About section for details) and doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm start, running till around 10pm. Don’t forget the night is BYOB (and glasses, and snacks etc), so stock up, or give yourselves time to nip across the road to the supermarket! Tea/coffee is available at the interval.